Pastor Tunde Bakare, the respected Founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, has revealed that he is facing “serious pressure” from various political stakeholders to align himself with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC). This revelation came during the inaugural Citadel School of Governance Dialogue Series, titled ‘Nigeria at 65: Historical Reflections, Futuristic Projection,’ held on Saturday in Oregun, Lagos.
The cleric confirmed the persistence of this political push. He stated that several prominent figures, including a former governor and a minister, both influential in the South-West, had urgently urged him to join the ADC fold. The campaign to recruit him intensified even during his time abroad.
“There has been a lot of pressure on me from who is who to join ADC. They come to my home,” Bakare disclosed. “Even while I was abroad, the hierarchy of that party kept calling, saying they needed my voice.”
Why Pastor Tunde Bakare Resists ADC Pressure
Despite this intense lobbying, Pastor Bakare remains resolute in his decision to reject the party. He explicitly ruled out the possibility of joining the ADC, dismissing the proposition with a sharp historical reference.
“I am not going to take part in ADC. The last time I knew about ADC was about a plane that crashed,” he said. He did, however, wish the opposition group well, stressing the necessity of a robust political opposition in the country. Consequently, he maintains a desire for a strong, viable check on the ruling party.
Bakare’s resistance to the Tunde Bakare ADC pressure is rooted in a desire to avoid internal party conflict within the South-West geopolitical zone. He believes that abandoning the current structure now would be destructive to the political landscape. Furthermore, he cautioned against the risk of creating a destructive feud similar to the historical division between political giants, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola.
“But you don’t birth a child called APC and then try to kill it yourself. We are not going to have another Awolowo–Akintola crisis in the South-West,” he concluded. His position clarifies his long-term commitment to his political vision. (For details on the ADC, visit their website: [Outbound Link to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) official website or recent manifesto]). His past political involvement sheds more light on his thinking (Read more on [Internal Link to a previous news report on Bakare’s involvement with the APC or his political philosophy]).
